The Pen
by Moon Princess4
Summary: Serena and Darien meet at a young age when Darien tries to keep Serena from being scared on a roller coaster. They exchange addresses and keep in touch throughout the years. FINALLY FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Default Chapter

"MOMMY!" wailed a 7 year old Serena Tsukino. "I WANNA GO ON THAT ONE!" she said as she pointed at a lime green roller coaster. It had about 3 loops and countless drops and turns.

"Serena. Mommy doesn't want to ride that one. It's scary." her mother said as she was looking at the ride and started to turn green.

"Mommy," Serena said putting on her best pout and puppy dog face. She started to sniff. "I'm a big girl. I can ride by myself!"

In the row next to them was a boy with jet black hair of about 10 years old. There were several kids behind him cheering him on. "YEAH! DARIEN'S GONNA RIDE THAT HUGE ROLLER COASTER! BY HIMSELF!!" None of the other kids had wanted to do it. There were kids from 3 to about 14 behind him and the only one brave enough to do it was ten year old Darien Shields. For the past two years he proved to everybody that he wasn't afraid of anything. He never told anyone the rest of the story though. He figured if he could live through an accident that killed his parents, he could do anything. He actually wasn't afraid. He rarely showed any emotions. But he felt them. He felt great sadness. Constantly. 

The ride had come back and the line started to move. People were filing on. He took a seat. A little girl with pigtails and buns walked up to him. "Hey! Is this anybody's seat?" she asked Darien. 

"Yeah."

He wanted to laugh as her face fell. Then he finished, "Yours."

She grinned. She plopped down next to him.

"Hey! You look young to be riding this by yourself. How old are you?"

"7. But...I'm not riding by myself."

"You're not?" he asked looking puzzled.

"You're here with me!" she said as the ride slowly started to climb the first tall hill.

"Hey. What's your name?" she asked him.

"Darien. Shields." he said as if he were unsure. "What's yours?"

"Serena Tsukino!" she said brightly.

That was when the ride started to tilt forward. Fast. Serena couldn't believe how scary it was. She almost started to cry when Darien took her hand. He held it for the rest of the ride to keep Serena calm. 

When the ride was over they walked over to Serena's mom. "Gotta go now!" he said brightly. 

"Hey! Wait a second!" she called him back as she realized she'd never see her friend again.

"What's your address? So I can write you letters?"

He took a candy wrapper and a pen out of his pocket. The pen was dark green with gold streaks down the side. At the top it had the initials "D.S" written in gold lettering. He wrote something on the paper with the pen and handed them both to Serena. "Here. You keep the pen. As a...gift."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~

Sorry it's so short. I'll write more. I just did this as an intro. Sorry if it stinks. It's only my 2nd story. PLEASE REVIEW! IF I GET 5 REVIEWS I'LL DO 2 MORE CHAPTERS!!!!!


	2. Letters

O.K. THESE ARE SOME OF THE INTERESTING LETTERS THAT WERE WRITTEN BETWEEN THE TWO. ENJOY AND PLEASE REVIEW!

OH! AND SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN DARIEN'S BIRTHDAY IS, I'LL MAKE IT MINE! TEE-HEE!

~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~

April 16, 1993

Dear Serena,

In your last letter you asked me where my parents were when I was at the theme park. I was there with the rest of the kids in the orphanage. It was sort of a field trip. 

My parents died when I was six in a severe car crash. I was in the car too. I never got my memory back.

I noticed yesterday that it was a month ago yesterday when I met you. I don't know too much about you though. Could you answer the following questions?

Favorite Color?

Favorite Animal?

Favorite Flower?

And anything else you can think of.

Love,

Darien

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 19, 1993

Hey Darien!!

You're right! We did learn about writing! They taught us how to write letters!!

I made sure I paid good attention! I hope I did okay. Are my indentions big enough?

My favorite animal has been a bunny since I was really little. I love bunnies! Everything in my room is bunny!! My favorite colors are white and PINK! Everything that isn't bunnies in my room is pink. Some stuff is both!

Favorite Food? That one's hard because I have a bunch of different favorite foods. Too many to even fit on this page!! But I probobly like sweets the most! Especially chocolate! 

I like to play arcade games too! My cousin had a Nintendo! It was fun!

Love,

Serena

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 5,1998

Dear Serena,

How have you been? Good I hope. Today was my birthday. I'm 15! I was looking forward to it the fast few years but now that it's here, it doesn't seem to much different from 14. What I am ready for is when I turn 18. Then I can get out of this terrible orphanage! I hate it here. Nobody understands me. You're my best friend Serena. I hope you're there for me always. How old are you now? About 12 or 13? Anyway.

I haven't seen you since you were seven! And you haven't seen me since I was 10!

Wow. That's been a long time! 

I guess I'll write you back some more later! I hope you have a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Love,

Darien

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 14,1998

Dear Darien,

I'll be 13 in June. I think I told you in my last letter to you, but in case I forgot, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARIEN!!! You'll be able to drive in a year! Wow! Come see me sometime. 

I had the worst day! You remember I told you about my boyfriend Preston?

The slimeball dumped me! On Valentine's Day! HELLO?! That was uncalled for! 

In front of everybody during lunch! Our entire school was in there eating and the dork starts dumping me and by the time he's finished the entire cafeteria is silent and listening to him dumping me! I can't stand him!

Then I got detention because some mean teacher called the ODANGO ATAMA trying to get me to pay attention, and I (of course! You don't insult my hair!!) blew up at him. OOOH! How ANNOYING!

Hope your Valentine's Day was better than mine!

Luv Ya Much!

Serena

NOT ODANGO ATAMA!!!!!!

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PLEASE REVIEW THIS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would appreciate it SOOO much!!


	3. "Wow! He's cute!" direct Mina quote

Serena was walking towards the arcade when someone from behind her screamed, "SERENA!!!!!!!!!!" in a sing-songy voice. She groaned. "Raye. Whatever it is you're about to critisize me about, tell Amy and get her to tell me later. I'm not up to it right now."

"Why? What's the matter Serena?" she asked.

"I'm tired, I feel sick, I can't deal with monsters at 3 am on school nights and be perky like the rest of you guys. I NEED SLEEP!"

"Sorry. A little ill today? Are we not?"

"Shut-Up." 

They continued walking toward the arcade. Serena slipped into her seat. This had been her seat since she was eleven. She was now 14. 

Soon after she and Raye had sat down, Mina, Amy and Lita walked in. Lita exclaimed, "AHHHH!!!!! What is Serena doing here early? For a meeting?! Oh no!! The end is near!! The end of creation as we know it is going to burn into an oblivion! Probobly caused by a very angry Raye shooting fire at people but that's beside the point."

The girls all laughed, even Serena who didn't think it was particularly funny at first. The part about Raye... that was funny. What was scary... is that Raye may actually get really aggrivated one day and do that. But whatever.

The scout meetings were never anything. They started off serious. But they always seemed to get gossiping after 10 minutes at the most. They were talking and laughing when the door opened to the arcade. Serena came here everyday so she knew most of the people who come in here. But...this guy? She'd never seen him before. He had jet black hair and bright blue eyes. Very tall. Serena felt if she looked at him too long her neck would hurt. OH WELL! THAT'S THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR EYE CANDY!!

Mina's mouth was hanging open. "Hey Mina. You may want to wipe up any tell-tale drool. He may think you have a pedigree and eat Puppy Chow." Raye stated. Mina wasn't listening. She was staring. And wasn't even trying to be discreet. 

He sat down and started to talk to Andrew. 

Mina couldn't take it anymore. She got up and walked towards him. Serena groaned, "Oh... not again!" 

She walked up to him, stuck her hand out and said, "HI! My name's Mina. What's yours?"

"Mamoru. Well...that's my name in Japanese anyway. That's what everyone calls me though."

She was looking at him. Again. "Oh. You want to meet my friends?" Did he have a choice? Mina grabbed him by the arm and drug him over to the girls. "Hey everybody! This is Mamoru! Mamoru... this girl's name is Amy, hers is Raye, hers is Lita, and hers is Serena." she said pointing at the appropriate people when she said their names.

All of a sudden he looked kind of sad. "What's wrong?!" Mina asked him. She obviously didn't like to see him upset. Either that or she felt like she'd done something wrong. 

"Nothing really...it's just that...I have a friend named Serena. But I don't every see her."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" said Serena, feeling like everything was always her fault.

"It's o.k. I'll be fine."

The girls (well actually Mina but the girls had no objections) asked him to sit down with them and chat a while. They talked about this and that and whatever that came to mind for the next hour. He especially got along with Amy. They talked about stuff that left Serena confused. 'Smart people stuff.' she concluded.

After about an hour he realized what time it was and said he really had to leave. He walked out. Serena and the rest of the girls all had dreamy looks on their faces.


	4. One meatball head, one coffee head

The next day at the arcade Mamoru was in a much better mood. He was smiling and laughing with Andrew. Serena sat down beside him. "HI!"

"Hey Serena. Ah-" he stopped and looked. Like he just realized something. " Hey Serena. You know your hair looks like two meatballs stuck on your head?"

"WHY YOU LOW-DOWN, ROTTEN, NO GOOD, SCUM OF THE EARTH...uh...um...SCUM!" 

"A little touchy about the hair, are we not?" he asked.

"Shut-up and leave me alone!"

"Wow! You know your pigtails look like a bunch of spaghetti noodles?!" he asked. He pushed his limit.

"You are so MEAN! I can't believe what a... what a ... dork you are!"

"Hey Andrew! Could we get some spaghetti sause please? I feel like a snack."

"Yeah well! Now you feel like hot don't ya?" she said as she poured his coffee on his head. "Coffee head!"

"Meatball Head!"

"Beans for brains!"

"Noodles for brains!"

"I'm more mature than you!" Serena said as she stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah right!" he said as he stuck his tongue out. 

This went on for a good ten minutes. Mamoru was sitting there drenched in coffee, and Serena was being Serena.

"Oh just shut up so I can study!" she said finally.

"Yes MA'AM!" he said sarcastically.

She pulled out her test paper and stared at it. The red lettering at the top and all the little x's down the sides ticked her off. Mamoru grabbed the paper. 

"25?" he snickered. "Maybe you should spend more time studying and less time putting meatballs in your hair." 

"That's it! I am out of here!"Serena wailed as she picked up her stuff and headed for the door. She pushed it open and almost jumped out. 

She looked at him through the window. 'He's so cute,' she thought, ' but...his personality reeks!' 

She took off in the direction to her house. Preparing herself with the fight about the test with her mom, then another with Luna about the test and whatever else is bothering Luna. It's somehow always Serena's fault. Maybe a nice pet shelter would like to take Luna off of Serena's hands. She didn't ask for a cat. She would have taken a nice bunny (who are generally quiet) or a fish. They weren't that much trouble. But no. She was stuck with an annoying, nagging, lecturing, cat for a pet. Couldn't Serena's life just be normal for once?

When she got home she flew up to her room and took a piece of pink paper with darker pink small bunnies at the top. She needed to talk to Darien.

February 23, 2001

Hi Darien,

I've really missed writing to you and reading your letters. I am so glad you moved! I got your new address last week when I got your last letter. Yeah, I think I can come see you sometime! One problem. Time is something that I don't have a lot of.

I met this really annoying guy last week. I can't stand him. He made fun of my hair! He calls me- well it's not important. It's too mean to write anyway. I did get my sweet revenge! He is so much older than me but...I am SO much more mature than he is. He is really childish.

Ah! i just realized something! Your apartment is really close to the arcade? Isn't it? I'm not positive, but I think so. Is there an arcade near your apartment? Or am I mistaken?

I guess I'll talk to you later Darien!!!

Love,

Bunny

P.S. You remember when you first decided to call me "your little Bunny?" and I hated it?! I LOVE it now! I got landed in detention the other day because I signed my test paper, Bunny. 


	5. Apartment number 1501

The next day Serena stopped by her mailbox on her way home from school. On her way in she was flipping through various items. Bill,bill,magazine for her little brother, junk mail, junk, SERENA TSUKINO YOU HAVE JUST WON $10 MILLION! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS...(she chunked that one in the trash. A.N. Do those get on your nerves too?)

and finally her eyes rested on her letter. Yep. Said on the cover: Miss Serena Tsukino, then her address. She didn't even have to look at the return address. She recognized Darien's handwriting. She laid all of the other stuff on the coffee table in the living room. Holding her letter she sprinted upstairs to see what her best friend had written her. 

February 23, 2001

My Little Bunny!

Hi Bunny! It's me again. It feels so good to finally be out on my own. Away from the orphanage, away from screaming kids, away from the disgusting food. Of course I can't cook too well either so I usually eat out.

Yes actually there is an arcade near where I live. It's just around the block. I go there a lot. 

About that jerk. I don't know how anyone can be so mean to someone as sweet as you. I really hope that you can come see me sometime. I look forward to it. I work from seven in the morning to three in the afternoon. So come see me after you get out from school. 

I have made a great friend! Don't feel jealous, he's nothing compared to you. He works at the arcade I live by. I'm still not sure whether it's the arcade you mentioned though. It's called Crown Arcade. 

I guess I'll talk to you later Bunny!!

Love you!!

Darien

After Serena finished reading the letter she jumped up. CROWN ARCADE! That was the name of her arcade! Could he be talking about Andrew? They're about the same age...

In five minutes flat she was at the arcade. She had her letter in her pocket. She groaned when she saw who was there. MAMORU! EW! 'I hate him!' she thought to herself.

"Well if it isn't the Meatball Head" he said. She hoped he wouldn't notice she was there.

"Mamoru. I don't care how many rude remarks you make I am in a GREAT mood today!"

"Why? Did you almost pass a test?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "STUPID!"

"Yeah. I'm the stupid one. Thank you little Miss. Pigtails I graduated at the top of my class thank you very much. Unlike you...who is in danger of even passing... what grade are you in?" 

"None of your buisness!" she yelled at him. He covered his ears and walked to a game. He put his money in and sat down. Serena shook her head at him. 

She looked over at Andrew. "Hey Andrew!" she said.

"Yes Serena?"

"Uh...do you know a guy named Darien?"  


"Darien?" he asked thinking hard. "Uh, no why?" 

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." 

"Nobody named Darien?" she asked again hoping he would remember.

Mamoru was now standing behind her. "My na-" he began. She interrupted him and whirled around.

"Don't even start with me!" she screamed at him and walked out the door.

She took the letter out of her pocket. She had tears in her eyes. He was so mean to her! She looked at the address carefully and walked towards the 15 story building. According to the letter Darien lived at the top. In room number 1501. She stepped onto the elevator. She pushed the button marked 15. As it stopped on the fifteenth floor she looked out the window in the hallway. She sighed. She could see the ocean from here. It was so pretty. She walked to the door that had 1501 printed in bold black letters. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door. She stood there a bit and when no one answered she knocked again. After standing there for five minutes and knocking in intervals she stepped away from the door. 

' I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. He isn't here, Mamoru is bothering me again, he thinks I'm stupid and doesn't hesitate to tell me, and when I think that I finally get to see my best friend after eight years, he isn't home. Her eyes started to tear up. She got on the elevator and rode down. Her spirits going down along with the elevator. By the time she got to floor number 8 they were falling. Fast. By the time she got to floor number 5 she was sobbing. When she finally reached the ground floor she nearly ran into someone tall with dark hair. She couldn't see because she had tears in her eyes with more flowing down her cheeks. When the man realized who he'd almost just collided with he asked, "Serena?" but she was gone. She had run sobbing from the elevator. He couldn't stop himself from being upset over the fact that she was upset. He didn't know why either. He was supposed to hate her! The fact that he knew this didn't stop his heart from breaking however.


	6. Apartment number 1501

Serena sat in the arcade after school the next day thinking about yesterday's "adventure." 

All of a sudden she felt an arm around her shoulder and someone sliding onto the seat next to her. She looked up. 'MAMORU?!' she thought. 'EW! Why is HE sitting next to me all...cozy? EW!'

"Serena. I just wanted to check on you. You O.K.?" he asked. 

'Is that genuine concern in his voice?' she wondered. "What do you mean?" she asked looking bewildered.

"I saw you yesterday running out of my apartment building in tears. I just wanted to check on you."

"I...I...That was you I ran into?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry about that. I-I couldn't see where I was going and-"

He cut her off. "Serena. Don't worry about it! I'm fine." he added with a smile.

'He's kinda cute..."

'WAIT A MINUTE! HAVE YOU FLIPPED?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!'

'Actually no. I wasn't kidding.'

'MAMORU?! CUTE?! YUCK SERENA! I THOUGHT YOU HAD BETTER TASTE THAN THAT!!'

Her battle with herself continued. Serena hated to admit it...but she thought she was LOSING!! UH...

"Serena?" a voice brought her back to reality.

"Huh?!" 

"I was just asking... why were you so upset?"

"Uh...I was...um...You see I was going to visit an old friend. But I couldn't find him. I had been having a really bad day... and just when I thought things were going to get better I..."

"I just simply got my hopes up." she concluded.

"Yeah...I know what you mean." he said.

"SERENA?!?!" a voice shreaked from the door.

She turned her head in the direction the voice came from. There stood four very confused looking girls.

"Uh...Serena? I thought you hated him." asked Mina.

"Hate? Him? Mamoru? NO!! I-I never said I hated him! I just said he got on my nerves." Serena said defensivly. She didn't know why, though.

"Serena. Yes 'Hate' was the word you used. Remember? I stayed at your house last night and you said you absolutely hated that no good, dirty, rotten, mean Mamoru." she reminded Serena.

She looked up at Mamoru. Was that hurt he was trying to cover up? 

"I-I-I... I was just having a bad day! I said I hated Raye too. But I didn't mean that either!" She finished as Raye shot her a dirty look. Serena had no intention of getting on Raye's bad side. The only one she had.

Mamoru stood up. "I really have to go now." he said.

"Serena..." Lita said as he left. "I really think you hurt his feelings."

"I did not! Besides! Even if I did, he's hurt mine loads of times! And that's the only reason I did say I hated him. He still gets on my last nerve. I can't stand him. But I don't hate him. Thanks a lot Mina!"

"WHAT DID I DO?!?!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the girls had left Serena walked in the opposite direction her home was in. She pushed the up arrow button for the elevator to come. She hopped on, pressed the button, and prayed that Darien was home.

As she walked up to apartment 1501 she took a deep breath. She rang the doorbell. 

"I'm coming!" she heard a cheerful cry from inside. She suddenly felt the urge to tear the door down and just run in. As she was considering this, the door started to open. 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" she asked looking strangely bewildered as Mamoru opened the door.

Then it hit her. Dark hair. Dark blue eyes. He even said himself his name was Mamoru IN JAPANESE! HELLO?! Why didn't she think of this before?! Her name was Usagi in Japanese and it sounds completely different. Why couldn't this be the case here?!

"D-D-Darien?" she stuttered. 

"Yeah. That's what-"

He slapped his hand to his mouth. BUNNY! It wasn't just a coincidence that she had the same name as his pen-pal. SHE WAS HIS PEN-PAL!!! The buns and pigtails, sky blue eyes. He shouldv'e known!

"Serena? You? You're my..." he stopped. 'AHH! I'm being rude! "OH! I'm sorry! Come in! Come in!" he stepped back and gestured for her to enter. She did and was shocked at how neat and tidy the place was. 

"Uh...Darien? You mean? It was you all along?!"

"Yeah I guess so! It was YOU all along?!" he asked Serena with a happy smile his face.

"Mmm-Hmm."

"I'm glad."

"HUH?! I thought you hated me!!"

"No! I...was good friends with Bunny and truthfully... I was falling for you... I know that sounds REALLY weird! Cause it did to me too! But...I couldn't help but feel something for you Sere. Hey Serena?"

"Yeah?" she asked feeling slightly shocked.

He got up and walked toward Serena. He put his arm around her. "Can I still call you my little Bunny?" he whispered.

She giggled. "Yeah! If you want."

He pulled her closer and to Serena's surprise. She didn't want him to loosen his grip on her either.

"Hey Buns?" 

She felt like she was floating. She liked that 'Buns.' It was cute. She looked at him.

He finished. "Whould it be weird if...I mean if I...kissed you now?"

Serena didn't say a word. She just slowly shook her head from side-to-side.


End file.
